On Tuesday 02 October 2001 09:36 pm, Steven T. Hatton wrote:
I have recently hit an extremely frustrating realization regarding Microsoft's continuing monopoly of the desktop computing environment. In order for me to distribute my resume on line, I am, for all intents and purposes required to poses a Microsoft OS. This is due to the fact that I must ensure that my code runs and renders properly under IE, or MS Word.
Why? I don't own a copy of Windows, yet I recently was quite successful in distributing my resume' online. I used W3C-standard HTML formatting and also made it available in plain text. During my entire job search (thankfully now ended) I had not a single complaint about my resume' being unreadable. That being said, I agree with your sentiments about Microsoft's perpetration of illegal activity. They have time on their side, and our government (even before Sept 11) had dawdled and dragged its feet in implementing any kind of restraint action. Obviously "the system" works: Give enough campaign money, and you need not fear the law. <soapbox> My solution to the Microsoft Monopoly doesn't involve breaking up the company, nor even forbidding preloads. I simply want to require the following: 1. Any sale of an operating system must be shown as a separate invoice line item, even if the operating system is bundled with a hardware product. 2. The customer must have the option to purchase the hardware without any operating system, and must receive a discount equal to the standard invoice amount for that operating system. 3. To discourage computer makers from simply pricing the operating system at some ridiculous value such as $1, thereby making it not worth anyone's time to decline its purchase, they must be required to *also* offer unlimited copies of the same operating system for sale separately, at the same price, to anyone who cares to buy it. 4. Any contract clause which would prevent a computer maker from complying with the preceding is nullified by the court. So if Dell wants to say that Windows is "free" with their computers, they can do that. But they must offer unlimited free copies to anyone who asks, and it becomes their problem to settle up with Microsoft. They are thus forced to show the customer that Windows is actually $75 or $150 or whatever it actually costs Dell to put it on the machine. This will level the playing field for other operating systems and sofware which have to be purchased separately. Now the consumer can decline to order Windows, receive a measurable discount, and apply that cost savings toward purchase of Linux, BSD, OS/2, or whatever. </soapbox> Of course, this would be a lot less fun than simply dumping thousands of Microsoft employees into Boston Harbor. But at least my suggestion won't cause water pollution. Scott -- -----------------------+------------------------------------------------------ Scott Courtney | "I don't mind Microsoft making money. I mind them courtney@4th.com | having a bad operating system." -- Linus Torvalds http://www.4th.com/ | ("The Rebel Code," NY Times, 21 February 1999)